A quotation is a noun for words taken directly from a speaker or source. Quote is a verb meaning to repeat those words, and it is also an established noun for the words themselves. You can quote a sentence from an interview or save the sentence as a quote or a quotation. In a business email, a quote can also mean a stated or estimated price for a job.
Use quote as a verb or noun
- Verb. The reporter quoted two lines from the curator’s letter. Here quoted tells what the reporter did.
- Noun. The reporter put a quote from the curator’s letter in the first paragraph. Here a quote names the excerpt. A quotation works in the same sentence.
Merriam-Webster lists both uses of quote. Some style guides prefer quotation as the noun in formal writing. Check the style your publication or assignment follows when either noun fits. Merriam-Webster’s entry for quote and the Language Portal of Canada’s style guidance.
Quotes can name prices or punctuation
The printer quoted $240 for 200 programs. As a verb, quoted means the printer named a price. The quote includes delivery. As a noun, quote can refer to the price or the offer stating it. A supplier might also call it a quotation. Cambridge Dictionary on quote and quotation.
In an instruction such as Put the phrase in quotes, quotes means the punctuation around the phrase. Quotation marks names those marks explicitly. Merriam-Webster on quotes as punctuation.
Choose between quoting and paraphrasing
Quote when the exact wording matters, such as when discussing how a writer phrased a promise. Paraphrase when you need to convey the meaning in your own words. Credit the source either way. These versions use the same fictional notice.
- Direct quotation. The library’s notice says, “The west entrance will reopen after Tuesday’s inspection.”
- Paraphrase. According to the library’s notice, visitors will be able to use the west entrance again once Tuesday’s inspection is complete.
The quotation keeps the notice’s wording. The paraphrase recasts the sentence and keeps the entrance, the timing, and the inspection. Purdue OWL on quoting and paraphrasing.
Format a quotation and show edits
Put a short direct quotation in quotation marks and name the source. Follow your style guide for citations, punctuation, and longer passages that use block formatting. Check the final text against the original. Purdue OWL on quotation marks.
- Omissions. Use an ellipsis for words removed from the middle of a quotation. If the notice said “The west entrance, which has been closed since April, will reopen on Tuesday,” you could shorten it to “The west entrance … will reopen on Tuesday.” Keep any words that affect the meaning, such as a condition on reopening.
- Clarification. Use square brackets around a short addition. If a speaker says “It will reopen on Tuesday” and it clearly refers to the west entrance, you could write “It [the west entrance] will reopen on Tuesday.”
Follow your style guide for the details of marking omissions and additions. Purdue OWL on changes within quotations.
Practice using quotation and quote
- Complete the sentence. Can we ___ the opening line in our review? Explain why only one of the two words fits.
- Revise this note to follow a house style that prefers quotation as the noun. The first quote in the article is from the coach.
- Explain both uses of quote. The mechanic quoted $180. The quote is valid until Friday.
- Paraphrase this line from a museum notice and credit the source. On Saturday, visitors with timed tickets should enter through the courtyard gate.
- An editor wants to shorten “The shelter may reopen on Friday if the power is restored” to “The shelter … will reopen on Friday.” Identify what the edit changes.
- Write a sentence quoting a clerk named Mei. Her exact words were Your membership expires on Friday.
Show answers and explanations
- Can we quote the opening line in our review? The blank needs a verb after can we. Quotation is a noun.
- The first quotation in the article is from the coach. The revision follows the stated house style. Quote is also an established noun.
- Quoted is the verb that tells what the mechanic did. The quote names the price or offer with the Friday deadline.
- The museum says people holding timed tickets should use the courtyard gate to enter on Saturday. The paraphrase credits the museum and keeps the day, the group of visitors, and the entrance.
- The edit replaces may with will and drops the condition about power. The source describes a possibility tied to power being restored. Retain those details to represent what the shelter said.
- Mei said, “Your membership expires on Friday.” The sentence names the speaker and sets off her exact words with quotation marks.
Related writing guides
- See how wording changes when you report what someone said. Direct vs. Indirect Speech.
- Compare the style guides writers use for citations and formatting. Grammar Style Guides.
- Check quotations and sources during a final edit. The Art of Proofreading.
